Hakuren Oak
Hakuren Oak is a main character in the 07-Ghost anime and manga series. He is first introduced as Teito's roommate at the Church and his self-proclaimed rival for the Bishop's Apprentice Exam. After a rough start, Hakuren later becomes a close friend of Teito. Hakuren is a member of the very wealthy Oak family in District 2, but he chose to become a bishop rather than follow the Oak family's tradition to go into politics or the military. After passing the exam he worked under Bishop Castor, but recieved a letter from his father asking him to return home to serve as a tutor to the princess. After realising the things that were covered up by the military, he decided to go in order to let the voices of the weak be heard to the royal family. History Hakuren was born into the wealthy and prestigious Oak Family where he grew up in luxury and splendour. His father is a noble, and though it is unknown what exactly his father's job is, it is established that he is either a politician or a soldier, as it is family tradition. His mother's job is unknown, but it is probable that she also comes from a noble family. When he was very young, his mother was taken by a Kor. To protect the Oaks' good reputation (as the Oak Family is a God House), his father had her locked in her room so that no one would know about it. He refused to take her to the Church because the exorcism is witnessed by the public, which means the secret will be publicized. One day a travelling Bishop (later revealed to be Frau) came to his house and healed his mother. Hakuren believed that he was God who answered his prayers and since that day, wanted to become just like Frau. Appearance Hakuren appears as a young boy of sixteen with a slender build, and who stands roughlt at a height of five foot six inches. He weighs 50kg. His face is heart shaped, with a pointy chin and slender jaw, and his skin is a pale peach colour, and he has a long, thin nose, a large mouth with full lips. Hakuren's most distinctive feature is his eyes, with are narrowed and purple in colour but have long bottom eye-lashes that appear to be a trait in his family as both Shuri and Wakaba possess them. His hair is blonde, and down his mid-back and it kept in a loose ponytail held with silver, metal clasps. His bangs reach past his eyes but are parted on the right. Hakuren greatly resembles his mother in appearance. He wears round glasses when reading and his face is described as being 'pretty' (e.g manga chapter 63) rather than handsome. He is first seen in the Bishop's apprentice uniform which appears as a long, white robe down to the ankles, having two slits, going from the bottom of the rob to the hips, at each side of the body, and long, white sleeves with large, dark blue sleeve cuffs. Down the back of the robe is a criss-cross stitching like that of a corset with dark blue thread. A small, white poncho (mid-back length) with a high collar and dark blue round the edges is worn over the robe, and he wears his exam badge at the front of his collar. He wears dark blue trousers and knee-length brown boots. Personality At first Hakuren appears to have a striking similarity to his younger cousin Shuri, as in the beginning of his relationship with Teito he taunts him in a similar way his cousin does and also possesses a similar sense of pride (e.g taunting Teito in the anime, "I don't know that nowadays even elementary school boys can participate in the bishop exam. Kiddy, where is your home? Let elder brother (me) take you home.") He is first established as vain, as in their first meeting he was shown to take pride in his appearance (with a mirror in his clothing) and proclaims to Teito, "beauty is such a curse" and "You are jealous of me because I am so gorgeous, aren't you?". Later, Hakuren shows a gentle and thoughtful side to his personality. When seeing Teito's sklave mark, he feels very guilty for calling Teito an "elemetary school boy" earlier, as he realizes that the other party probably hasn't even been sent to elementary school before, and apologises to him. Hakuren's reasons for wanting to become a Bishop are to help people and take revenge against his father. He expressed outrage upon hearing what the military (in which many members of his family serve) had covered up and was determined to let the voices of the common people be heard by the royalty. Although Hakuren has rebelled against the Oak family, and was hesitant to return to them, he was very offended when Teito insulted his family name by calling them 'spineless Oaks' and thought that he would have beaten the other party if they were not within the church. Hakuren is diplomatic. He is quite good at dealing with difficult people (e.g Ouka's aunt in manga chapter 63). He has a quick mind and is courageous, and does not lose his cool even when he is in a stressful situation, as shown in his performance in the bishop exams. He is strong-willed, as he is determined to achieve his dream even if it means being rejected by the Oak family. He is also gentle, as Frau has said that Hakuren sounds like a mother in his letter to Teito. Relationships With his family His mother: Hakuren has a very close relationship with his mother. When he was a child, he sat by her bed and accompanied her, and frequently prayed for his mother's recovery. His father: Hakuren and his father do not get on, as Hakuren's father values the Oak Family name above his son's happiness. During a flashback, Hakuren's father was shown slapping a young Hakuren (who appeared to be around 10) across the face, which could suggest that his father was also physically abusive towards him if he does not follow his father's will. Hakuren holds a deep grudge against his father and has said that he will "never forgive him", and that he will "never follow in his footsteps". Nonetheless, even though Hakuren had run away from home to become a bishop, Hakuren's father still keeps track of his whereabouts ("I went to different churches, but still my father was able to find me") to send him photos of noble women who can be his wife, ignoring the fact that Hakuren is unwilling, as he has said that Hakuren must choose a good wife if he wants to inherit the family. Despite Hakuren choosing to disconnect himself from the Oak clan (by not taking a career in the military or the government), his father still does not give up on persuading Hakuren to be orthodox. He arranges Hakuren to be the empress-to-be's tutor, which is a compromised way to get his son involved in politics and achieve his son's goal to help the powerless people at the same time. It can also get his son to meet noble women in person ("why is there nothing but ladies of the court here?", manga chapter 63), as Hakuren refuse to look at the candidates' photos. Shuri Oak: Hakuren hasn't interacted with Shuri in the anime or manga yet, however, it is probable that they have seen each other in the big Oak Family, as it seems that the entire Oak clan live on the same land (manga chapter 75). According to the drama in the 12th Animate DVD, Hakuren obviously knows Shuri, as he says "you're stupid as usual". They interact with each other in a childlike manner (e.g call each other names, fight and argue over silly things, including which one of them has won in an Oak-style rock-paper-scissors game), laughing heartily when they mock the other party or see him look defeated. With his peers Teito Klein: Hakuren and Teito do not begin on pleasent terms and the two trade insults within the first few minutes of meeting each other. After Hakuren learns more of Teito's past he feels guilty for his earlier remarks and apologises. During an attack by a Wars they both risk their lives for each other and when Hakuren wakes up he calls Teito "comrade". During the Bishop Apprentice Exam, they become closer and closer and now they are very good friends. Burupya (Mikage's reincarnation): 'Burupya appears to like Hakuren, as he often goes to Hakuren or sits on either his head or his shoulder. Hakuren is gentle towards him too, and hugs him happily when he sees that Buryupya is safe (manga chapter 74). With his superiors 'Frau: Hakuren idolises Frau as he was the Bishop that saved his mother from the Kor, and he has said that he wishes to become like him when he is older. He also admires Frau's skill with a Baculus, and was eager to impress him, offering him porn as a gift. Castor: After graduation, Hakuren begins to serve under Castor as his apprentice. Hakuren respects Castor as his superior and respects his opinion as he listened to him when he said he should become the empress-to-be's tutor. Anime synopsis He and Teito first meet soon after Mikage's death and Hakuren is walking by Teito in the church. Teito mistakes him for Mikage since they look somewhat similar, but upon looking closer, realizes it is someone else. Upon seeing that Teito is training to become a bishop as well, he states that Teito is now his rival. Teito is thinking that there is something about Hakuren that is a bit familiar to him until Hakuren asks Teito whether middle school children were starting to take the exam as well. Teito suddenly realizes that Hakuren sounds a lot like Shuri Oak, his tormentor from the military academy. It turns out that Hakuren is related to Shuri (they are cousins) and he and Teito immediately despise each other, even thinking "if this wasn't a sanctuary, I would beat him up". After trading insults, Teito asks Hakuren why someone from the noble Oak family, having a reputation for being in the military and the government, would pursue a life at the church. Later in the day, upon hearing that they are roommates, both of them demand a change, but are unable to. Because they are roommates, they are also assigned as partners for training and the examination. Eventually, they apologize for being so rude to each other and become friends. After Teito tells him about how Burupya is the reincarnation of his friend, Hakuren tells him about why he came to the church to become a bishop. After telling Teito his story, he felt embarrassed, but they became good friends. Their friendship is further developed when a Wars attacks the two of them after training and Teito grabs Hakuren's hand to stop him from falling. They both end up falling out of the building and have to be saved by Frau. After that incident, Hakuren offers Teito a handshake, calling him a 'comrade'. Teito hesitates, remembering how he became friends with Mikage but ended up being unable to protect him. He then tells Hakuren he'll be friends with him when he's strong enough to protect him. Eventually, they become very good friends, and before parting ways to begin their apprenticeship after completing the exam, promise each other that when they next meet they'll be much stronger. Trivia *Many fans mistakenly think that Hakuren and Shuri are siblings. *Hakuren comes from the cadet branch of the Oaks, while Shuri comes from the senior branch. *There are six servants and two washrooms in the house where Hakuren's family lives. They have three villas too. (mini drama in the 12th Limited Animate DVD) *Hakuren is uneasy or dizzy when he is close with females, he calls the "sickness" "joseiyoi". It originates from his father's making him see many photos of females (in order to choose a prospective wife) since he was a child. (manga chapter 63) *Some fans think that Hakuren's father arranged Hakuren to be Princess Ouka's tutor because he wants Hakuren to become a consort. *Hakuren has a mirror in his clothes. (Anime episode 11) *When Razette changed her face into Hakuren's face, Hakuren said that the face (i.e his own face) is lovely. (manga chapter 31) *Hakuren likes cooking. (The first offical character book) *Hakuren is a fan of spicy food. (manga chapter 63 page 13) *In anime episode 20, after Haruse recognizes that Hakuren is a member of the Oak family, he says he can't leave Hakuren in the church and takes him with them. As his mission is to retrieve Teito Klein only, he really has no reason to bother to take a passerby (Hakuren) back to the military. Hence, there is a chance that Hakuren is wanted, as in the 07-Ghost world soldiers also have law enforcement duties. *In Supreme Sugar, there is a picture in which Hakuren wears a earing on his left ear. Category:Characters Category:Male Category:Church members Category:Main characters